MoonLake Immunotherapeutics AG, a biotech firm has agreed to merge with Helix Acquisition Corp, a blank check company backed by Cormorant Asset Management. When the deal closes, the company will be renamed MoonLake Immunotherapeutics and trade on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol “MLTX.”
PRESS RELEASE
ZUG, Switzerland & BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MoonLake Immunotherapeutics AG, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on creating next-level therapies for inflammatory skin and joint diseases and Helix Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: HLXA), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by Cormorant Asset Management, today announced they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement. Upon closing of the transaction, the company will be renamed “MoonLake Immunotherapeutics” and will be led by an international team of immunology experts. The combined company’s common stock is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol MLTX.
In addition to the approximately $115 million held in Helix Acquisition Corp.’s trust (assuming no redemptions), the transaction also includes commitments for a $115 million PIPE at $10.00 per share from a group including premier institutional and strategic investors. The PIPE is led by Cormorant Asset Management, and includes BVF Partners L.P., 683 Capital Partners, LP, Asymmetry Capital Management, LP, funds managed by Ghost Tree Capital Group, LP, Monashee Investment Management, LLC, RTW Investments, LP, Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company), TCG X and funds managed by Tekla Capital Management LLC.
Jorge Santos da Silva, PhD, CEO of MoonLake said: “This financing is an important milestone for our company. On behalf of the founders, we are grateful to the MoonLake team and our investors for ensuring access to the capital we need to advance our sonelokimab clinical programs, and create the potential to transform the lives of patients affected by IL-17A/F-driven inflammatory diseases. We would like to congratulate Cormorant, all of our investors, and the MoonLake team for their contributions to reaching this important stage, and we look forward to our immediate next steps, including the imminent start of our innovative Phase 2 program.”
Proceeds from the transaction are expected to provide MoonLake with the capital needed to accelerate the development of the clinical stage, tri-specific Nanobody® sonelokimab, in multiple inflammatory diseases in dermatology and rheumatology driven by IL-17A and IL-17F (A/F Inflammatory Diseases or AFIDs). In a Phase 2b trial with over 300 moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients, sonelokimab numerically outperformed the leading IL-17 inhibitor secukinumab and demonstrated a favorable benefit-risk profile. Building on this progress, MoonLake plans to initiate additional Phase 2 studies targeting other IL-17A/F driven indications such as psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis or radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (AS or RaxSpA), and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), each of which affect millions of patients worldwide.
Bihua Chen, Founder and CEO of Cormorant, and CEO of Helix said: “MoonLake has a strong management team with deep scientific and operational experience in immunology and an exciting asset in sonelokimab, which has already shown clinical benefit in psoriasis. We are excited about the potential for sonelokimab impacting diseases such as HS, PsA, and AS or RaxSpA.”
Andy Phillips, Managing Director at Cormorant and CFO of Helix added: “Nanobodies such as sonelokimab are an exciting emerging therapeutic modality and sonelokimab has been engineered to have properties that may underpin potential for differentiated clinical activity in deep tissue and joint settings where IL-17A and IL-17F biology is emerging as central to disease.”
Transaction Overview
Upon the closing of the business combination, MoonLake will have access to approximately $230 million in cash (less any redemptions and transaction costs). The proceeds will be funded through a combination of approximately $115 million held in a trust account by Helix (assuming no redemptions) and a $115 million concurrent PIPE financing of Helix Class A shares issued at $10.00 per share to leading institutional investors. Assuming a share price of $10.00 per share and no redemptions of Helix shares, MoonLake (as a combined entity) is expected to have an implied pro forma equity value of approximately $620 million at closing. As part of the transaction, certain MoonLake existing equity holders will transfer their MoonLake equity to Helix in exchange for Class A shares of Helix, while certain other MoonLake existing equity holders will have the ability to convert their MoonLake equity into shares of Helix.
The boards of directors of both MoonLake and Helix have unanimously approved the proposed transaction, which is expected to be completed late in the fourth quarter of 2021 or early in the first quarter of 2022. The transaction is subject to, among other things, the approval of the stockholders of both MoonLake and Helix, and satisfaction or waiver of the conditions stated in the definitive business combination agreement.
Jefferies LLC, Cowen and Company, LLC and SVB Leerink LLC acted as co-lead placement agents for Helix Acquisition Corp. on the PIPE transaction. Jefferies also acted as lead capital markets advisor to Helix Acquisition Corp. SVB Leerink LLC also acted as financial advisor to Helix Acquisition Corp. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Kellerhals Carrard Basel KIG and Walkers (Cayman) LLP acted as legal counsel to MoonLake. White & Case LLP, Pestalozzi Attorneys at Law Ltd, and Maples Group acted as legal counsel to Helix Acquisition Corp. Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to the placement agents.
About MoonLake Immunotherapeutics
MoonLake Immunotherapeutics AG, founded in 2021, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing the tri-specific Nanobody®, sonelokimab, to address significant unmet needs in inflammatory skin and joint diseases. Sonelokimab is an IL-17A/F inhibitor that has clinically demonstrated potential to drive therapeutic solutions for dermatology and rheumatology patients. MoonLake aims to develop a portfolio of therapeutic indications for sonelokimab, and is focused on demonstrating its efficacy, safety, dosing convenience and mechanism of action, initially in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis or radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (AS or RaxSpA), and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This will build on Phase 2b data showing leading performance in psoriasis. MoonLake is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.
About Helix Acquisition Corp. (HLXA)
Helix Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: HLXA) is a Cayman Islands exempted company formed for the purpose of entering into a business combination with one or more businesses in the biotechnology sector. On October 19, 2020, Helix raised approximately $115 million for this purpose in its initial public offering. Helix is sponsored by Cormorant Asset Management and led by Bihua Chen, the Founder and CEO of Cormorant Asset Management, a healthcare focused investment firm with approximately $3 billion in assets under management as of June 2021. Helix is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts
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